BANGALORE: A tale of two siblings Upperdog, the Norwegian movie directed by Sara Johnsen is a typical film festival fare. Yanne and her half-brother Axel both Chinese were separated after their mother dies in their childhood. They were adopted by two Norwegian families — one rich and one poor. Yanne grows up knowing she has a brother but doesn’t make any effort to reach out to him but Axel is unaware of his half-sister. Yanne, all grown up now runs a restaurant with her friend Maria, who incidentally works at Axel’s parents’ house as maid. Maria finds out that Yanne’s brother is actually Axel when she finds a photo in his parents’ house that resembles the one Yanne has at hers. Thus begins the story of how the siblings reunite. There is a sub-plot of the passionate relationship between Maria and Axel and an ex-army man Per who is ousted from Afghanistan, betrayed by a journalist. He is fighting with his inner demons, wrought with guilt over the incident that leads to his return.The interesting screenplay keeps you engaged throughout the film. As the movie unfolds, pieces of the stories’ puzzles fall into place interweaving sub-plots and introducing the characters. The cast is well-chosen. Hermann Sabado as Axel fits to the tee as the adopted poor little rich boy who knows he is different and is lost trying to make sense of his life while Bang Chau (Yanne) as his half-sister plays the sober elder sister who is coping with the best she can, yet feels something is missing in her life. Agnieszka Grochowska’s portrayal as the sweet yet cheeky Maria, the maid draws you instantly to her character. She has a strong screen presence and brings life to the movie. The movie goes on its own pace never in a hurry to prove anything. There are some tender moments highlighted by good acting. One such scene is when the brother-sister duo re-unites and Axel gets angry his sister knew about him but never tried to find him. The romance between the ex-army guy and Yanne’s character does seem contrived just to weave Per’s character into the story. Their equation just doesn’t match up though there is potential. The plot with Per dealing with his past is good but seems to be going nowhere. The director keeps it simple and sweet with the focus purely on the main characters. The director has aimed at a mature ending. A void in Axel and Yanne’s life is filled and they show no more remorse. The romance between the main characters is left on a positive note. Indeed, a good way to start the film festival.ao
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